I looked around for this a few weeks back and found it to be sold out. I guess they have had another run as I picked up a four pack yesterday. I had one with lunch today, and it was too sweet. It took me a while to drink it. I am having one now after dinner, wanting something sweet, and it hits the spot. I am not sure I would have more than one at one sitting.

It is different from their root beer. Almost in the same way N/A beer is different from regular. Kind of a malty watery mouth feel and a sneak up of booze at the end. Something feels like/reminds me of red wine and maybe a little melted Pepsi. I like the coating vanilla sugar slick of their root beer that doesn't come out here. Seeing "Flavored Malt Beverage" on the label makes me think they added root beer flavor to zima base.

Agreed. I like their root beer and other sodas, particularly when I crave a really sweet drink. The hard root beer just doesn't do much for me. I was similarly disappointed to see that this is apparently just a flavored malt beverage. It will take a while to get through the remaining three from my 4 pk.

I'm blanking on the brewer, but I've seen and tried some "hard ginger beer" a couple times recently and can recommend that, specifically with some lime on ice. That might be a better fit for what you're looking for Titor.

rrnate wrote:I'm blanking on the brewer, but I've seen and tried some "hard ginger beer" a couple times recently and can recommend that, specifically with some lime on ice. That might be a better fit for what you're looking for Titor.

Ohh...this is interesting. Hollows & Fentimans does an alcholic ginger beer. I may have to investigate further.

rrnate wrote:I'm blanking on the brewer, but I've seen and tried some "hard ginger beer" a couple times recently and can recommend that, specifically with some lime on ice. That might be a better fit for what you're looking for Titor.

I saw something like this at Riley's. I can't remember the brand but I think it was from the UK or Ireland. Possibly Scotland.

rrnate wrote:I'm blanking on the brewer, but I've seen and tried some "hard ginger beer" a couple times recently and can recommend that, specifically with some lime on ice. That might be a better fit for what you're looking for Titor.

Ohh...this is interesting. Hollows & Fentimans does an alcholic ginger beer. I may have to investigate further.

Yeah, I've seen that. Also an apple ale--not hard cider--that has me intrigued. I wonder if it would taste like a shandy?

TheBookPolice wrote:But regarding "flavored malt beverage": what were you expecting? That's what these kinds of drinks are, from Zima to Mike's Hard Lemonade to Smirnoff Ice.

They have my all time favorite root beer. I guess I was expecting something more from Sprecher? I think a happy medium would be to just add some booze to their regular root beer.

rrnate wrote:I'm blanking on the brewer, but I've seen and tried some "hard ginger beer" a couple times recently and can recommend that, specifically with some lime on ice. That might be a better fit for what you're looking for Titor.

I have been looking into this actually for some time now. I have tried lots of ginger beers and ales and wanted to make my own. I got as far as trying to find the ginger beer plant (with no luck locally, even asked hippies) and let it go.

I am ok with drinking their regular root beer, when I want to have a root beer. Maybe a PGA chaser.

"Crabbie's" is an alcoholic ginger beer, made in the UK. It's 4.8% ABV and really tasty.

The hard rootbeer is selling real well. Many rebuys, unlike say like bubblegum flavored vodka where you buy/try it once and never again. It's been a hit for Sprecher, who does brew good beer but has not kept up with the micro beer wave. Their best selling product is there soda, so it made sense.

There you go - I think that's what I've had, and it is pretty decent. Sweet, but not overwhelmingly so! (It's particularly good on ice with lime.)

rabble wrote:Seems like if you can do it with an Old Fashioned you could do it with root beer.

Yup, it's apparently not illegal and in fact, I tried a bit of the "Arty's Old Fashioned" last night - not amazing, but a hell of a lot better than your hard lemonades/etc. Tastes like brandy, sweet and bitters.

Finally - I firmly, FIRMLY stand by Jack and Barq's Root Beer (known as the Bark n' Jarker) as a quality drink.